Plateless seed planter

ABSTRACT

A hollow generally cylindrical planter housing mounted on a horizontal axis and closed by end plates, one of which has an opening to the interior of the housing adjacent the bottom thereof for the entry of a seed supply, the housing having an outlet opening in its cylindrical wall for discharge of seeds, a spring finger orbiting the housing axis close to the surrounding wall, and means for opening the space between the spring finger and the circumferential wall at the bottom portion of the housing whereby a seed will enter between the spring finger and the housing wall and the spring finger will carry the seed along the said wall to the outlet opening.

United States Patent Bernard P. Fuchs R.R. #3,6l068;

Byron P. Sanderson, P.O. Box 233, Rochelle, Ill. 61068 Appl. No. 833,282

Filed June 16, 1969 Patented Mar. 30, 1971 Inventors PrimaryExaminer-Stanley H. Tollberg Attorney-Rummler and Snow ABSTRACT: Ahollow generally cylindrical planter housing mounted on a horizontalaxis and closed by end plates, one of which has an opening to theinterior of the housing adjacent the bottom thereof for the entry of aseed supply, the housing having an outlet opening in its cylindricalwall for discharge of seeds, a spring finger orbiting the housing axisclose to the surrounding wall, and means for opening the space betweenthe spring finger and the circumferential wall at the bottom portion ofthe housing whereby a seed will enter between the spring finger and thehousing wall and the spring finger will carry the seed along the saidwall to the outlet opening.

Patented March 30, 1971 INVENTORS BERNARD R FUCHS BYRON R 5A NDERSO/VIPLATELESS sass PLANTlElR BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The presentinvention relates to automatic seed planters of the type intended to bemounted on or attached to a vehicle adapted to travel over the groundfor depositing seeds at spaced intervals along a furrow formed in theground. Such apparatus, in addition to the seed selector and depositor,includes means for forming the furrow and then following the seeddepositor, means are provided for closing the furrow. Heretofore theseed selector and depositor mechanism has been somewhat complicated instructure and very often, quite inaccurate in its operation,particularly in skipping and leaving areas not planted or in depositinga plurality of seeds where only one is desired. Also, in many cases, theplanter mechanisms have been much too complicated in their structure andsubject to damage during normal operation. F urthermore, automatic seedplanters have theretofore, in general, been quite slow in theiroperation'thus necessitating slow speeds of ground travel. The presentinvention is intended to overcome most, if not all, of thesedeficiencies of prior automatic seed planter devices.

SUMMARY or THE INVENTION The invention concerns a seed planter having aminimum of moving parts and adapted to discharge seeds one at a time atsubstantially any rate. Essentially, the structure involved is agenerally cylindrical hollow housing closed at its ends and disposedwith its axis horizontal, the housing being provided with means formaintaining a continuous supply of seeds to a predetermined level abovethe housing bottom and having a seed discharge outlet in its sidewallabove the level of the seed supply. Seeds are engaged and transportedsingly from the supply at the bottom of the housing to the dischargeoutlet by means of a shaped finger orbiting the housing axis in a planenormal thereto and intersecting the discharge outlet, the said fingertraveling close to the inner wall surface of the housing and beingadapted to engage a seed at the bottom of the housing and then hold theseed against the housing wall while transporting the seed along theorbital path from the seed supply to the discharge outlet.

The seed-selecting finger is carried by an arm extending radially from arotatable shaft extending horizontally through the housing, the fingerextendingforwardly from the arm in the direction of orbit and beingshaped to provide a pocket intermediate its ends, between the finger andthe housing wall, in which a seed may become lodged as the finger passesthrough the mass of seeds in the housing, whereby the seed will becarried by the finger to the discharge outlet where the seed will bedelivered to suitable chute means for directing it to the plantingpoint.

The inventive concept here involved is to provide an internal housingconfiguration whereby the mass of seeds at the bottom of the housingwill gravitate into the path of the gyrating finger and to provide meansfor opening the space between the finger and the housing wall in thearea of seed concentration sufiiciently for the entry of a seed into thepocket between the finger and the housing wall as the finger passesthrough the seed mass. A preferred way to provide for entry of a seedinto the finger pocket is to grind out the bottom area of the housingwall, at least in the area of finger orbit, so as to open the spacebelow the finger wherein a seed can be lodged. Other arrangements arealso disclosed.

A plurality of seed selecting fingers may be disposed to follow a singleorbit, .the several finger-carrying arms being equally spaced in theangular direction, and a single housing may enclose several axiallyspaced finger groups whereby a plurality of seeds may be delivered fromthe planter at the same time. Preferably the rotary shaft which gyratesthe seedselecting fingers is driven, through suitable gearing, in timedrelation with the wheels of the vehicle on which the planter is mountedand in that manner, the rate of seed delivery is regu- 2 lated inaccordance with ground-travel speed for any particular distance betweenseed deposits.

Particular advantages of the improved planter construction reside in thefact that the seed-picking finger will always pick up and deliver a seedas long as there is a supply of seeds in the housing; in the fact thatthe finger will deliver only one seed at a time to the discharge outlet;and in the. fact that an arrangement of multiple fingers traveling asingle orbit permits a more rapid operation of the planting machine or aslower operation of seed selection and delivery or both. Thus a greaterground speed of the planting machine can be had without danger ofskipping due to rapid operation of the seed selectors. Furtheradvantages are found in the simplicity of the construction of theimproved seed planter and the fact that the planter can work withungraded seeds.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS An illustrative embodiment of this inventionis shown in the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front view of a seed planter unit according to theinvention;

FIG. 2 is a somewhat enlarged sectional view of the same as taken online 2--2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the same as taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing a modified arrangement for operatingthe seed selecting finger to engage and carry a seed;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of a seed selecting finger as used in themodification of FIG. 4, the fixedca m being indicated by dash outline;and

FIG. 6 is a sectional view like FIGS. 2 and 4 but showing a stillfurther modification of the seed-selecting finger operating means.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The drawings illustrate, in amore or less schematic fashion, the primary concept of our inventionwhich concerns only the seed-selecting and delivery mechanism and itwill be understood that such a mechanism can be embodied readily in seedplanter apparatus intended to beattached to the usual tractor or otherpulling vehicle for use in a conventional seed planting operation. Seedplanting machines, generally. are well known in this art. Thus the usesof the invention and the manner of its adaptation to seed plantingapparatus will be readily understood by those skilled in the art. Forthat reason, only the essentials of our concept have been illustrated.

As indicated by the drawings, the seed selector housing 10 is a hollow,generally cylindrical body 12 closed at its ends by plates 14 and 16each of which is formed with a boss for journaling a drive shaft 18which extends axially through the housing body 12. Seeds are supplied tothe housing 12 continuously by means of a suitable conduit 20 leadingfrom the usual seed hopper, not shown, and the seed inlet 22, shownentering through the end plate 16, is located at a predetermineddistance above the bottom of the housing so that the quantity of seed inthe housing will be self-limiting to a maximum depth of about one-tenthof the internal diameter of the housing.

In the form shown, the seed-selecting device comprises a plurality ofselector fingers 24 each of which is formed from a strip of flat,relatively thin, spring metal stock and each finger is mounted at theend of a spokelike arm 26 projecting radially from a hub 28 suitablysecured on the shaft it As indicated in FIG. 2, the number of arms andselector fingers that may be carried by the hub 28 is limited only bythe length of the fingers, the inner circumference of the housing 12,and the space between fingers required for seed fall in front of eachsucceeding finger.

The selector fingers 24 are preferably all of the same size and shapeand as shown, each finger extends forwardly, in the direction of travel,from the respective arm 26 and each finger is formed to the shape of aflattened w" so as to curve first from the end of the arm 26 toward theinner surface of the housing wall and then to loop outwardly from thehousing wall and back again to form a pocket 30 intermediate the ends ofthe finger. Also, as shown, the leading end of the finger 24 is curvedoutwardly away from the housing wall and the overall form of the fingeris such that as it passes through a mass of seeds, a seed can readilypass under the leading end of the finger and into the pocket 30 to bethereafter carried by the finger along the circumference of the housingfor ultimate discharge through an outlet opening 32 suitably located inthe sidewall of the housing and in the plane of the selector fingerorbit.

In the form of our invention shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the curvature ofthe inner wall surface of the housing is enlarged at the bottom portion34 of the housing so that in that area, the spring fingers 24 will bespaced about one-half the seed thickness away from the housing wallwhile they pass through the mass of seeds contained in the housing.Thus, while the radius of curvature of the housing inner wall isconstant throughout the upper half of the housing, the radius ofcurvature gradually increases as it approaches the bottom center 34 ofthe housing, where it reaches a maximum, and then gradually decreases asit approaches the horizontal plane of the housing axis. Thus, as thespring finger 24 travels over the inner surface of the housing, itbarely clears the surface of the housing throughout the upper halfthereof and then, after passing the outlet 32, the finger becomesgradually spaced from the inner wall of the housing until the distancebetween the forward end of the pocket 30 becomes large enough to admit aseed 36 beneath the outwardly curved leading end 38 of the finger andinto the pocket 30 by a resilient yielding of the finger under thepressure exerted by the frictional drag of the seed against the housingwall as it is pushed by the outwardly curved leading end of the finger.

Because of the resilient nature of the spring finger 24, it is capableof receiving seeds of a considerable range of sizes into the fingerpocket 30 as the finger passes through the seed mass in the housing.Thus the seeds to be handled by our improved selector mechanism need notbe graded and the mechanism will accurately feed, one by one, seeds ofthe full range of sizes normally occurring in the particular variety theplanter is intended to handle. This is illustrated in FIG. 2 by thelarge seed 36' being carried by the finger 24'.

Also, as shown in FIG. 3, a circumferential groove 40 is formed in thehousing wall along the orbit of the fingers 24, this groove 40 servingthe function of centering seeds in the orbit of the fingers 24 andorienting those that are not round to be parallel with the groove sothat each finger will be certain of engaging a seed and receiving a seedinto the finger pocket 30. The extension of the groove 40 throughout thecircumference of the housing 12 serves to keep the seed positionedbeneath the spring finger and in the pocket 30 as the finger travelsaround the upper half of the housing where the finger is substantiallyin engagement with the surface of the housing.

As indicated in FIG. 2, the seeds 36 are expelled from the housing, oneat a time, through the outlet 32 and to assure that each seed carried bya finger will be delivered through the outlet 32, the radius ofcurvature of the inner wall of the housing does not begin to increaseuntil after the outlet 32 is passed. Thus a seed carried in the pocket30 of any finger 24 is prevented from passing the lower lip of theoutlet 32 and the finger 24 does not begin to rise from the surface ofthe housing wall until it is well past the seed discharge outlet.

In the modified form of our invention shown in FIG. 4, the insidesurface of the housing 12 is perfectly cylindrical, the radius ofcurvature being the same throughout theentire circumference, and in thiscase, the seed-selecting finger 25 is mechanically actuated by means ofa cam 42 fixedly located beside the finger orbit with the cam reachingits maximum height about 30 in advance of the bottom center of thehousing and the dropoff being close to the bottom center of the housing.

For operation by the cam 42, the finger 25 is provided with a laterallyextending tab 44, as shown in FIG. 5, and as the tab 44 rides over thecam 42, the leading end of the finger 25 is elevated sufficiently toadmit a seed into the pocket formed by the outwardly bulged or bowedportion intermediate the ends of the FIG. Thus, the operational effectof this form of our invention is substantially the same as though thebottom portion of the housing 12 were ground or cut away, as in the caseof the form shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. I

A still further modification of our invention, wherein theseed-selecting fingers are manipulated to engage and then transport aseed, is shown in FIG. 6 wherein the shaft 18 is eccentrically joumaledin the end plates of a fully cylindrical housing 12'. Thus, the spokesor arms 26 projecting radially from the hub 28', being all of the samelength, will dispose the respective fingers 24' close to the innersurface ofthe housing in the upper portion thereof and in spacedrelation with the housing at the lower seed-carrying portion thereof. Inthis case, the amount of eccentricity of the axis 46 of the shaft 18'relative to the axis 48 of the cylindrical inner surface of the housingis such as to afford sufficient elevation of the finger 24, as ittraverses the lower portion of the housing, to admit a seed beneath theleading end 38 of the finger and into the pocket 30' intermediate theends of the finger. Thus, it is the eccentricity of the shaft 18 whichserves the same purpose as the increase of the radius of the innerhousing surface at the bottom portion of the housing as shown in FIGS. 2and 3.

In the operation of improved seed selecting and discharge device, thehousing will contain seeds supplied from the conduit 20 to about thelevel of the dotted line 50 shown in FIG. 3. These seeds will gravitatetoward the bottom center of the housing and into the groove 40 and whenthe seeds are of a kind where they are somewhat elongate rather thanround, they will tend to orient themselves in the groove 40 so thattheir greater length will be along the orbit of the seed selectingfingers. Thus, as each finger enters the mass of seeds at the bottom ofthe housing and becomes elevated or otherwise spaced from the housingwall, a seed will be engaged by the leading end 38 of the finger andthereafter be worked into the pocket 30 intermediate the ends of thefinger. This last will occur because of friction between the seed andthe wall of the groove 40 in which the seed will be when the fingerengages it. Once the seed becomes lodged in the pocket 30, theresilience of the finger will keep it trapped and as the finger travelsits orbit, the seed will be transported about 270 around thecircumference of the housing until it reaches the discharge outlet 32,at which point the seed will be immediately ejected into a suitabledelivery tube, not shown. in the event a second seed becomes lodgedbeneath the outwardly curved leading end of the finger, after a seed hasbecome lodged in the pocket 30, the two seeds will travel together untilthe finger reaches the upper portion of the housing, at which point thesecond seed will fall away and return to the bottom of the housing.Thus, the selector finger 24 will always carry a single seed from thesupply of seeds at the bottom of the housing to the discharge outlet 32.

Also, because of the resilient nature of the selector fingers 24, seedsof a range of sizes can be handled in random order and size grading ofthe seeds supplied to the planter device of our invention is notnecessary. The advantages of this capability will be obvious to thoseskilled in the art as well as the fact that, as long as seeds aresupplied to the housing 12, each finger will pick up and discharge aseed during the course of each revolution about the housing axis therebyobviating skipping and assuring the delivery ofseeds one at a time.

We claim:

ll. A seed planter comprising a generally cylindrical housing having endwalls and a rotatable shaft joumaled in said end walls and extendingaxially through said housing, said housing being disposed in an axiallyhorizontal position:

a. an arm extending radially from said shaft within said housing;

b. a seed pickup finger projecting forwardly from said arm in thedirection of rotation of said shaft;

1. said pickup finger being disposed to extend along the curved innersidewall surface of said housing substam tially in contacttherewith'during at least a major portion of its orbit as said shaftisrotated,

c. an outwardly bowed portion on said finger intermediate the endsthereof to provide a pocket between the finger and the housing wall;

(1. means for causing said finger .to become elevated from the wall ofsaid housing as it traverses the bottom portion thereof; and J 1 e. aseed discharge outlet in the housing sidewall intermediate the top andbottom thereof.

2. A seed planter according'to claim 1 wherein the seed pickup finger isformed from afstripof resilient material and 'has an outwardly turnedleading end.

3. A seed planter according to claim 1 wherein the radius of thecurvature of the inner surface of the housing is increased at the bottomportion of the housing for causing the said finger to become elevatedtherefrom.

4. A seed planter according to claim 1 wherein the inner wall surface ofthe housing is provided with a circumferential groove in the plane ofthe pickup finger orbit.

'the finger to become elevated from the-wall 5. A seed planter accordingto claim 1 wherein cam means are provided in advance of thebottom centerof the housing for lifting the seed pickup finger away from the housingwall as the finger enters the bottom central portion of the housing.

6. A seed planter according to claim l'wherein'the rotatable shaft isjournaled in the housing end walls eccentrically of the housing axis andin an upward direction therefrom for causing of the housing at thebottom portion thereof.

7. A seed planter according to claim 1 wherein one of the end walls hasan opening for the. introduction of seeds from a supply thereof.

8. A seed planter according to claim 7 wherein the said end wall openingis located with its top edge spaced from the bottom center of thehousing a distance no greater than one-tenth the maximum internaldiameter ofthehousing.

9. A seed planter according to claim 8 wherein means connected to saidend wall opening are provided for the continuous delivery of seeds intothe bottom central portion of said housing. A

1. A seed planter comprising a generally cylindrical housing having endwalls and a rotatable shaft journaled in said end walls and extendingaxially through said housing, said housing being disposed in an axiallyhorizontal position: a. an arm extending radially from said shaft withinsaid housing; b. a seed pickup finger projecting forwardly from said armin the direction of rotation of said shaft;
 1. said pickup finger beingdisposed to extend along the curved inner sidewall surface of saidhousing substantially in contact therewith during at least a majorportion of its orbit as said shaft is rotated, c. an outwardly bowedportion on said finger intermediate the ends thereof to provide a pocketbetween the finger and the housing wall; d. means for causing saidfinger to become elevated from the wall of said housing as it traversesthe bottom portion thereof; and e. a seed discharge outlet in thehousing sidewall intermediate the top and bottom thereof.
 2. A seedplanter according to claim 1 wherein the seed pickup finger is formedfrom a strip of resilient material and has an outwardly turned leadingend.
 3. A seed planter according to claim 1 wherein the radius of thecurvature of the inner surface of the housing is increased at the bottomportion of the housing for causing the said finger to become elevatedtherefrom.
 4. A seed planter according to claim 1 wherein the inner wallsurface of the housing is provided with a circumferential groove in theplane of the pickup finger orbit.
 5. A seed planter according to claim 1wherein cam means are provided in advance of the bottom center of thehousing for lifting the seed pickup finger away from the housing wall asthe finger enters the bottom central portion of the housing.
 6. A seedplanter according to claim 1 wherein the rotatable shaft is journaled inthe housing end walls eccentrically of the housing axis and in an upwarddirection therefrom for causing the finger to become elevated from thewall of the housing at the bottom portion thereof.
 7. A seed planteraccording to claim 1 wherein one of the end walls has an opening for theintroduction of seeds from a supply thereof.
 8. A seed planter accordingto claim 7 wherein the said end wall opening is located with its topedge spaced from the bottom center of the housing a distance no greaterthan one-tenth the maximum internal diameter of the housing.
 9. A seedplanter according to claim 8 wherein means connected to said end wallopening are provided for the continuous delivery of seeds into thebottom central portion of said housing.